- Plant natives like sweetfern, glossy black chokeberry and meadow rose do well in upper Midwest gardens.Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
According to the National Arboretum's Hardiness Zone Map, the area of the upper Midwest United States includes everything from Zone 2b to 6a. This is a wide swing in temperature and hardiness values, so plants in this region must adapt to a large variety of climates. When landscaping your garden, use as many native plants as possible because they are already well adapted to the upper Midwest's soil and climate. - Pick this small native upper Midwest shrub for both texture and fragrance. This compact shrub grows only as tall as 2 to 3 feet and is hardy to Zone 3. Sweetfern is a slow grower that prefers full sun and acid soil. It is tolerant of extreme conditions including dry, sterile and sandy soils. The foliage has a sweet aroma and will be a winner even in an area of your garden that has poor soil.
- Select glossy black chokeberry as a plant that has multiple uses in your upper Midwest garden. This native shrub is hardy to Zone 3 and grows to a height of 4 to 6 feet. Its white blooms come out in the spring and are followed in the fall by black fruits. The foliage is true to its name---glossy dark-green leaves in the summer turn to shades of red and orange in the fall. Glossy black chokeberry adapts to most garden locales and can be in full sun or part shade.
- Pick meadow rose for a native upper Midwest rose bush. This medium-sized shrub grows to between 4 and 5 feet tall and has beautiful pink blooms in the summertime. Like the glossy black chokeberry, the blooms of the meadow rose turn into bright red fruit, which continues through the fall and into winter, so you'll maintain some garden interest and texture even when the snow is falling. If your garden soil tends to be wet or soggy, this plant is perfect; it easily tolerates wet soils and prefers full sun.
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